Monday, April 8, 2013

Pepe has been ruled out of Real Madrid's Champions League quarter-final

Real Madrid are likely to field Raphael Varane and Raul Albiol at the
back after the Portugal international picked up a muscle knock in
training

Pepe has been ruled out of Real Madrid's Champions League quarter-final second leg with Galatasaray through injury, according to various reports the Spanish media. The
Portuguese pulled up during a training session with a suspected muscle
problem and has handed Jose Mourinho an unwelcome selection headache
ahead of the Istanbul clash.

Sergio Ramos will not feature
either in Turkey thanks to his first-leg yellow card, meaning that Raul
Albiol and Raphael Varane will line up alongside each other in the heart
of defence.

It remains to be seen how long Mourinho will be
without the services of his compatriot but the former Porto defender
seems certain to miss the Turk Telekom Arena clash.

"Following
the Levante game, we had some injury worries about Pepe, so we'll wait
for tomorrow and then see. Albiol may play instead of him," the former
Inter coach said at his press conference.

The Spanish champions
will also be without Xabi Alonso, who was also booked at the Bernabeu
leg, meaning that Luka Modric is likely to partner either Sami Khedira
or Michael Essien in midfield.

Mourinho will also have to choose between Angel Di Maria on the right wing and Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higuain up front.

Galatasaray and Real Madrid are scheduled to kick off at 20:45CET in Istanbul.